The Darkness: The Conglomerate Trilogy (Volume 2)

by William S Frisbee Jr

  "Soul mates," Leonessa whispered.

  Falla Shum considered this and nodded. "That is a close approximation."

  "How does Topa Suresh know?" Luke asked.

  Pursing his lips in a human manner Falla Shum looked at both Luke and Leonessa.

  "Topa Suresh warned me of this conversation," he said slowly. "He recommended that I ask you to save it for when you meet him again."

  "Topa Suresh has a skill for deferring and brushing off my questions," Luke said with a grim smile. Fall Shum smiled back at him.

  "The Topa told me you would say that," Shum said and Luke remained silent, staring at Falla Shum for several minutes.

  "And?" Luke asked.

  Falla Shum sighed. "He recommended I wait for an interruption so I would not have to explain, and it could be redirected to him."

  "Not going to happen now," Luke said.

  "You are very like Topa Suresh and I wonder. . . " Falla Shum said, his eyes going out of focus as he thought.

  "Wonder what?" Leonessa asked and Falla Shum's eyes focused on her, his smile grew.

  "Commander Luke, you are very like the Topa in many ways," Shum said. "I see now why he is interested in you."

  "Stop changing the topic," Luke said. "Are you going to answer?"

  "Does my life depend on it?" Falla Shum asked.

  Luke paused, stunned for a second.

  "Of course not," Luke said and Falla Shum nodded. Luke realized he was not going to get his answer. The damned Pral and their secretiveness.

  "Then I will tell you. I ask you not to repeat this to any non-Pral, even Pral may take exception telling you this," Shum said. Luke nodded, staring at Shum.

  "Do you know the history of the universe?" Shum asked and both Leonessa and Luke shook their heads.

  "That would take a while to explain," Falla Shum said, his eyes distant. "Consider this then. Your home star is Sol, it is a third generation sun. It was built from previous generations of stars that cooled off, contracted and exploded, each generation of star getting heavier, with heavier elements. Life began at the time before the first generation stars. It is not life as you and I would recognize it now because our shell is composed of the heavier elements, but we are descended from those first life forms which are energy. Those life forms are composed of an energy most people cannot see or understand today. Try explaining air or light to a medieval barbarian, or one of your pets. That is how different those life forms are, but they are us. Can you kill air? Can you slay light? Like the stars, intelligence has evolved, life has gained heavier elements, but we have not lost that which we were originally. When you speak of your soul, you have no idea how old, or how evolved that life form is. Even the Pral are still learning. This life within us is perhaps as old as the first generation stars, and as durable. Life, our souls if you will, are not so easily classified or understood, we are the barbarians being told about air. Do you understand?"

  "I think so," Leonessa said. "Like the stars, we never die, we take a different form?"

  "Close," Falla Shum said. "I have been studying human cultures, religions and ideology, there is much truth in many of the religions, but there are also many misunderstandings."

  "What happens when we die?" Luke asked.

  "You change your form," Shum said. "Like those first generations stars that have become third or fourth generation stars. They are still here, but they aren't. Life however is more consolidated, more cohesive."

  "What is me though ends," Luke said but Shum shook his head.

  "No," Shum said. "What is you takes a different path, but you are still you beneath the surface. Your body acts as a filter for your soul, like a low network connection, not everything is allowed across that link. You are connected but you don't have full access in either direction because there is too much data."

  "I don't remember any of my previous lives," Luke said and Shum shrugged.

  "You have not tried hard enough," Shum said. "Your filter is strong. Like remembering where you were on this day twenty of your cycles ago. It isn't as important to you as the here and now, so you do not waste bandwidth remembering."

  "But I have previous lives?" Luke asked.

  "There is no doubt," Shum said and smiled. "Even rocks have previous lives, but you are much more evolved than a rock that has been reforged in the exploding fire of numerous suns. Life has not changed as much as you might think. Your eyes only see in specific wave length of radiation and that perception defines your interpretation of life."

  "You should learn more about quantum mechanics," Shum said. "Learn more about the empty space between atoms. That will take you on the path of true understanding because while the space between the smallest particles might appear empty or random to you, it isn't. Like the light we know exists, there are so many other forces."

  Luke nodded, maybe later. He didn't have a way to confirm or deny it and it sounded like religious jibber-jabber at any rate.

  Shum looked between Leonessa and Luke, meeting their gaze, inviting their questions.

  "How does Topa Suresh see the future?" Luke finally asked.

  "I don't know," Shum said. "He is a Weave Master of the Pral. It is said he has many lives, and that gives him a unique perspective on the tapestry of life."

  "Different lives?" Leonessa asked.

  Shum nodded. "You have two eyes, they give you depth perception. Now imagine looking at the world through the eyes and perceptions of two different people, or ten, all at the same time. He is linked with other lives."

  "We are talking about the future," Luke said.

  Shum nodded. "It was explained to me thus; your two eyes can watch me drop a cup to the floor. Your two eyes give you the depth perception to measure the speed and distance, unlike one eye, two eyes give you the ability to stop that cup from crashing into the floor if you have the reflexes. Topa Suresh has the reflexes."

  "Like he is all knowing?" Leonessa said.

  "He cannot stop the cup from falling in the next room, outside his view," Shum said. "He cannot see everything, or everywhere but he can see the cup from many angles, he can see the cup being pushed, the edge and what is below the cup who is near enough to catch it."

  Luke leaned back in thought as Leonessa leaned forward to look at Shum.

  "What does Topa Suresh want?" Leonessa asked.

  Shum looked at Leonessa, his eyes widening in surprise. An expression that seemed so human.

  "Want?" he asked. "He wants to live. He wants peace, he wants a future with a minimum of violence. I cannot speak for the Topa, but it is my understanding that this is what they strive for."

  "Why don't they take over? Enforce their will, and their peace?" Leonessa asked.

  "That is slavery," Shum said. "Of body or spirit. War and violence are a part of life, a part of evolution, but there are more important things as well. Death is not permanent. There is learning and finding solutions. Not even the greatest Topa have the answers but we can't find them unless we ask questions and learn from our mistakes. The Topa strive to help people learn the most from their mistakes."

  "Well shit," Luke said sarcastically. "That makes a hell of a lot of sense now."

  Falla Shum nodded, missing the sarcasm somehow.

  "Why didn't he ever tell me that?" Luke asked.

  "Would you have listened and understood?" Shum asked. Luke glanced at Leonessa and then back at Shum and smiled. "Would you have believed?"

  "Hell no," Luke said. "Not then, even now I'm skeptical."

  Shum nodded and looked at Leonessa.

  "I'm undecided," she said. "This is a lot to take in. So the Topa cannot see the future?"

  Shum shook his head. "None of the Topa can, although it may seem so. They cannot see this enemy at the borders of the Conglomerate because I do not think they have any lives in the darkness."

  "Topa only have lives in the Conglomerate?" Luke asked.

  "No," Shum said, his falling to Luke. "But the Conglomerate gives them the best understanding
and frame of reference. Not all of their lives are current. Time and space are not always what you want, or expect them to be. Not all the Pral can see their other lives, fewer still can understand them, but a Pral with other lives, or even a Soma in the Conglomerate, can have a profound depth of vision."

  "Commander to the CIC," a message from Erica displayed on Luke's internal display.

  "I'm being summoned to the bridge," Luke said. "This is a lot to think about. Hurts my brain."

  Leonessa smiled.

  Luke didn't miss Shum's smile. What had the Pral not told him?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Boarding Action

  Luke sat next to Leonessa on Shuttle One. He wanted her close, and beside her was Musashi and then Brita. However, since he would be leading the attack, maybe this wasn't the best place for her. Sometimes old habits were bad habits.

  The shuttle was dark, with minimal lighting and movement, reminding Luke of the beginning of a funeral where everyone was lost in their thoughts. In vacuum, there was no sound and Luke watched the different displays. The waiting was always the worst.

  Brita was full of energy, Luke saw the simulation of her face displayed on his heads-up display and superimposed on her helmet. It was almost as good as looking at her face, which would have been impossible in the armored, faceless helmets. She was smiling while Leonessa had a serious look on her face.

  "Going active in five minutes," Bruce said on the command network. "Assault shuttles stand by."

  "Both shuttles report as ready," Gray said on the command network. "Standing by."

  Looking around him, Luke looked into the faces of several of his other droids. Warrior droids that had been platoon commanders and company commanders, now carrying weapons as riflemen. Everyone was here but Gray and Walt, the intelligence officer. It hadn't been easy telling Gray to stay behind to coordinate the operation. There were numerous warbots and each of Luke's officers had two or three under their command, a major change from when they each had thirty or forty aboard the Ultio. The other shuttle was similar, but it was led by Major Edson, Gray's executive officer. Major Edson had been named after was a Major General Merrit Edson, a veteran of World War One and Two. The original Edson had been the leader of a Marine Raider Battalion at Guadalcanal. Major Edson knew everything there was to know about Major General Merrit Edson and Luke could always get a lecture on the 'Old Breed' when he had a conversation with Edson. Edson and Puller had always like to talk about the 'Old Breed' and Luke had an urge to call Puller, but that was no longer possible.

  Besides Brita sat Captain Chapman, named after the twenty-fourth Commandant of the Marine Corps. A decorated Marine who had also served in World War Two at the Battle of Peleliu and the Battle of Okinawa. Usually Chapman served as the battalion personnel officer, and one of Luke's body guards, but all of Luke's droid were Marine commandos first and foremost. Chapman was a 'neat freak' and if he hadn't been a droid Luke would have labeled him as OCD since he liked everything neat and structured.

  Major Davis was another droid officer, named after Raymond G. Davis, and Lieutenant Watson, named after Cody G. Watson. All named for decorated Marines from Earth. It gave Luke peace to know he was in good company that he was surrounded by people that held themselves to a higher standard. Every droid was a person in Luke's eyes, a reminder of the warriors that had gone before, of heroes and dedicated warriors. It gave Luke and his Battalion an esprit de corps, a personality that nobody else understood. At the other end of the shuttle sat Shum, clutching his staff, his armor covering him completely, his helmet an egg like black metal mask reflecting the armored figures around him. Falla Shum was patched into the command network but the full integration was not there so his expressions and emotions were hidden.

  * * * * *

  A lot of thoughts go through a person's head as they sit there strapped into a shuttle, waiting for the fight to start, knowing things could happen and they would have no control, no options and no way to change the outcome. Anything could happen and Luke regretted allowing Leonessa to join the assault group. Too much could go wrong, but if he refused to let her join, he would lose her respect so the best place would be to keep her close to him.

  "Going active in one minute," Bruce said. "Shuttles will launch as soon as we have a target disabled and the other target is removed as a threat. I won't send you out into a firefight."

  Luke stared at Shum. Was he afraid or bored?

  The butterflies were dogfighting in his stomach again. Would he make a fool of himself in front of Leonessa? Would he lose her respect somehow?

  Bringing up his internal displays, Luke saw a version of the holographic display on the bridge. He heard Bruce, Erica, Kevin, Jason and Michael all talking. Ensigns One and Two were feeding them information and the Proud Infidels strategic AI was also reading off information.

  "Going active now!" Bruce said. "Launch fighters."

  "Target one acquired at seventy kilometers," Erica said. "Target two acquired at forty kilometers. Corvette class. Broma design."

  "Launch two Supaka's each," Bruce said. "Detonation at 500 meters. Ring their bell. Have the second Supaka per ship hold back ten seconds."

  "Launched Supaka's one through four," Ensign one reported.

  "Engaging both targets with close defense canon," Ensign Two responded.

  "Targets are turning to attack," Erica said. It was attack or just die. Their response showed they were warriors.

  "Good response time," Bruce said. "Stand by plasma lance, orient on target one. Two is closer, so let's save it for the shuttles."

  "Minor hits with close defense weapons from target one," Ensign Two said. Luke didn't feel the impacts, so the shields were strong enough.

  Luke pulled up a view of target two. It was an indistinct black blob, but two low power plasma hits raked it, burning off camouflage and shattering a turret that stuck out of the armored hull. Another low powered plasma burst burned off more camouflage and Luke saw it was shaped like a long graceful arrow with four wide wings, two wide ones in the back and another, smaller pair, further forward. The ship had various fins and sensor bubbles covering it. A turret on top and one below provided all around firepower, but most of the weapons were forward facing. The InnerBuddy display showing the ship had a diagram of a person nearby for scale and Luke estimated the corvette had a crew of eight, less if they were human sized. Two assault shuttles might be over kill but if they captured a corvette, they might fit it into one of the landing bay of the Proud Infidel. Luke sent his thoughts to Gray to implement if possible.

  "Supaka one detonating in three, two, one, detonation," intoned Ensign One.

  When the flash on the display cleared, the corvette appeared, damaged and lifeless now. Most of its camouflage clustered in patches, shredded by the attack and revealing the corvette's once graceful shape. The wing on the port side was broken off and the smaller one was bent.

  "Assault shuttles are a go on target two," Bruce announced. "Target two is showing minimal power, no shields. Supaka Two is orbiting the target. Target one is still being engaged and is now attempting to flee. She appears to be stripped of offensive weaponry. Missiles are a maybe, so we will keep you inside our point defense screen."

  Luke looked over and saw Brita smiling. Leonessa had a grim smile as she stared into space, watching her own displays.

  The shuttle lurched as it fell out of the Proud Infidel and accelerated. Slammed back in their seats by the gravity, Luke felt his face fall into its customary wild grin. The indicator flashed again showing he was now in a complete vacuum.

  "Target two is heavily damaged," Gray said on the assault team's command channel. "It appears to have lost power. The fighters are on top of it now, getting up close and personal with sensor scans, looking for self-destruct devices. Once they report clear, you may approach."

  "Copy that," Luke said, watching his screens. The shuttle came closer.

  "We see a Tonkan body," Gray said. "There is a rip on the port sid
e, behind the wing, might get warbots in there, but the body is wedged in tight from decompression it appears. The body was suited."

  Luke pulled up a display and saw the body Gray was talking about. It was missing a head and arm, but the body looked Tonkan in size and shape. If it was suited, it demonstrated discipline.

  "There's an airlock on the top," Gray said. "That might be the best way in for team one," which would be Luke, Leonessa, Brita, Musashi and several droids and warbots.

  "Team two will go for the rip," Gray continued. "Team three will be over watch and team four will be reserve. Shuttle Two will proceed to target one, just in case."

  "Team one copies," Luke said.

  "Team two copies," Edson said.

  "Team three copies," Davis replied

  "Team four copies," Watson answered.

  "Don't forget prisoners," Gray said. "Eyes open for intelligence material."

  The shuttle slowed down and Luke checked the tactical view. They were less than a kilometer from the shattered corvette and nothing had changed.

  Luke could feel the butterflies in his stomach and had to pee. It was a familiar feeling. His body was full of energy but he had to remain still.

  "Shuttle one is cleared for approach," Gray said. "Scan appears to be okay. There are three living beings still on the ship. Two on the bridge and one in engineering. Team one gets the bridge, Team two is closer to engineering. Tonkan are firm believers in suicide pills, brain bombs and other methods to insure they are not taken prisoner. They will fight to the death if possible. Be ready for them to open their space suits. I don't want to lose anyone. Nobody has permission to die, everyone lives. That is an order."

  Luke watched the back hatch of the shuttle open and the stars outside spin as the shuttle pointed the back doors at the shuttle and Luke saw the enemy ship with his own two eyes. Warbots perched at the shuttle doors, their rifles tracking the corvette as the shuttle backed up toward the corvette with steady bursts. If you didn't look at the surrounding stars it looked like the spinning corvette was losing momentum and slowing down, but if you watched the stars, nausea would become a real danger. The shuttle matched speed ahead of it and was slowly decelerating, closing the distance. The corvette was still hurtling through space without power but it could not decelerate.